The National Air and Space Museum commemorates the history of flight and educates and inspires people through its collections, exhibitions, research, and programs related to aviation, space flight, and planetary studies.

The Apollo Program

Apollo 11

Apollo 11: Buzz Aldrin and the U.S. flag on the Moon

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot of the first lunar landing mission, poses for a photograph beside the deployed United States flag during an Apollo 11 Extravehicular Activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. The Lunar Module (LM) is on the left, and the footprints of the astronauts are clearly visible in the soil of the Moon. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this picture with a 70mm Hasselblad lunar surface camera. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the LM, the "Eagle", to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the Moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar-orbit.

Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia

The Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution / Eric Long

Mobile Quarantine Facility (Apollo 11) at the Udvar-Hazy Center

This Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) was one of four built by NASA for astronauts returning from the Moon.

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution

Armstrong Apollo 11 Spacesuit

This spacesuit, worn by Armstrong during his EVA (extra-vehicular activity) on the moon in 1969 is a model A7L suit and was tailored especially for him.

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution / Eric Long

Lunar Module 2 in Exploring the Moon

Lunar Module 2 is one of two remaining lunar landers built for the early Apollo missions. A video camera mounted in the spacecraft enables you to look around inside.

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution / Mark Avino

Earthrise from Apollo 8

Earthrise as seen from Apollo 8 spacecraft while orbiting the Moon in December, 1968.

Image courtesy of NASA

Lunar Touchrock in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall

This lunar sample was cut from a rock collected on the surface of the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. Found near the landing site in the Valley of Taurus-Littrow, it is an iron-rich, fine-textured volcanic rock called basalt. It is nearly 4 billion years old.

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution / Mark Avino

Apollo 11 Photograph - Buzz Aldrin

This photograph was taken during Apollo 11, the first manned mission to land on the Moon. The photograph shows lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin standing on the lunar surface. Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong, who took the photograph, and the lunar lander can be seen reflected in Aldrin's visor. This image is one of the most popular photographs taken during the Apollo program.

Image courtesy of NASA

Bootprint

Wearing special lunar boot overshoes, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin stepped onto the moon on July 20, 1969, and made this now-famous footprint.

Other Resources

Online Conference:

Apollo Space Program. Enjoy these conference recordings of Smithsonian experts presenting the challenges of the Apollo Program and examining the remarkable technologies that made the Moon landings possible.